Chapter 10
I covered my mouth with my palm and let out a small yawn.
“We’ve already talked about that.”
The steady rumble of the carriage lulled me slowly toward sleep.
“Honestly, I wish the Earl would bring the child sooner rather than later.”
I didn’t bother to check Ricardo’s expression.
I was simply tired—so tired that all I could think about was collapsing into bed and drifting off.
Once I got home, I’d rip off this cumbersome dress, untangle all the jewelry, and sink into that ridiculously plush bed for a nap.
“Matias Juan, at your service.”
I blinked, a little dazed, as the man introduced himself.
I had expected Pascal to arrive, since I was scheduled to go out again today—but instead, this man showed up.
“Sir Juan.”
His uniform and speech resembled Pascal’s enough that I assumed he was also a knight.
It seemed I was right.
Sir Juan nodded and asked when I planned to depart, then withdrew.
“I think the Count must’ve dismissed Sir Pascal,” Sarah murmured gloomily.
“Dismissed?”
“Yes. Yesterday, Sir Pascal left you behind and vanished, didn’t he? The Count must’ve been furious.”
If that were the standard, then Sarah had left me behind too.
Should I fire her as well?
“It’s different. I only left because I thought you might be uncomfortable, but Sir Pascal… well, it wasn’t like that.”
Perhaps she felt my gaze on her, because Sarah rushed to explain.
Instead of continuing the conversation, I changed the subject.
“Where’s the nanny?”
“In the garden. It’s not even that hot, but she keeps going out there to check on her son—says she’s worried he’ll overwork himself.”
Her son was clearly made for gardening.
Thanks to the maids constantly peeking at him as he worked, the windows facing the garden were now the cleanest in the estate.
“Oh—there was a letter from the Rosette estate.”
Sarah handed me an envelope.
The elegant script was hard to read, but the contents were simple enough:
“Please join me for afternoon tea. I heard about the banquet. It must be difficult to handle everything on your own—if there’s anything I can help with, don’t hesitate to ask.”
I had planned to hire a chef today.
Not to disparage the Linton estate’s current head cook, but I doubted she could manage all the banquet dishes alone.
Edgar showed no interest in household matters, and Cecilia had been too consumed with heartbreak to pay attention to the state of the house. Things had been neglected.
The head maid had done her best, but with both master and mistress distracted, she could only do so much.
“This is perfect. Ask the Countess Rosette for a chef recommendation,” Sarah suggested.
“She’s famous in society for her connections. Back when the late Earl was alive, she used to host breakfast meetings, tea parties, garden parties, and banquets all the time.”
But would she really help Cecilia out of goodwill?
Cecilia wasn’t her real daughter.
I’d only met the Countess Rosette once, but I felt sure she disliked Cecilia.
Maybe she wasn’t a fairytale-style wicked stepmother, but she clearly favored her biological daughter.
Just take Isla, for example. That bright little girl could casually bring up uncomfortable topics with a smile, poking holes in you without even realizing it—or maybe while pretending not to.
“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to ask about a gardener.”
“Just a gardener?”
Sarah’s eyes widened at my response.
She sighed, then adopted a patient, lecturing tone.
“This is when I really feel like you’ve lost your memory, My Lady.”
“Why?”
“The Countess Rosette is a good person. Whenever you were struggling, she sent the nanny over. She wrote to you every other day. She even summoned the Earl and scolded him on your behalf.”
She recited a list of “good deeds,” but ironically, those very actions had pushed Cecilia deeper into isolation.
Stuck in a loop of sweet, well-meaning words, Cecilia had clung to a hopeless dream—and in turn, punished herself.
Perhaps Rosette had rebuked Edgar knowing full well it would only make him resent Cecilia more.
“For now, I’ll just ask about a gardener. Justin may be good, but he still needs someone to give proper instructions.”
Sarah looked confused by my decision.
“But—”
“Sarah. You know why Sir Pascal was dismissed, don’t you?”
Pascal had disobeyed a direct order.
Edgar had probably instructed him to keep watch over me—but instead, he’d gone off during duty hours.
The excuse that I had told him to rest didn’t matter. The one paying him was Edgar.
And you answer to the one who pays.
Sarah fell silent, finally understanding what I meant.
“Tell the nanny to prepare to go to the Rosette estate with me.”
“The nanny, too?”
“It wouldn’t look good for a daughter to visit her family without her maid, would it?”
I might not know all the etiquette of this world, but according to my own sense of propriety, that felt right.
Whether because my reasoning was correct, or because she was still unsettled by our earlier conversation, Sarah didn’t protest and left to find the nanny.
Soon after, we departed for Count Rosette’s estate.
Sir Juan was clearly different from Pascal.
He didn’t try to make small talk or pull any tricks.
“If only Sir Pascal had made his mistake just one day later,” Sarah sighed with frustration.
“You’re supposed to bring something impressive when visiting your family.”
I glanced out the carriage window at Sir Juan, who was riding alongside us.
He was a middle-aged man with a thick beard covering half his face.
“What’s so good about it? The Earl finally came to his senses, that’s all.”
The nanny looked pleased.
“That man yesterday didn’t act like a knight at all, my lady. A proper guard for the Countess should be someone serious like this. He actually suits the role.”
She smiled even more warmly, likely thinking of her own son.
“And if the Earl continues thinking clearly, maybe he’ll assign another guard. No one would object if that guard’s squire was a commoner, after all.”
She didn’t hesitate to make her hopes known.
“Of course people would object!” Sarah snapped.
“A squire is supposed to be a young boy who’s trained from an early age. Your son is practically an adult!”
It seemed Sarah had made it her personal mission to argue with the nanny no matter what.
Their bickering filled the carriage with noise.
I slid the window open.
Sir Juan moved his horse closer.
“Do you need anything, my lady?”
“No. It’s just loud inside.”
He glanced into the carriage and clicked his tongue.
The nanny and Sarah didn’t even notice—too caught up in their argument over who was right.
“You’re too gentle, my lady. That’s the problem.”
“Some might say I’m not strict enough.”
“Who would dare speak ill of the Countess of Linton? When the master is kind, the servants live comfortably.”
Sir Juan spoke smoothly and respectfully.
Looking at his beard-covered face, I smiled faintly.
When we arrived at the Rosette estate, Sir Juan offered his hand to help me down from the carriage.
“Sister!”
Isla came running to greet me.
“Who’s this?”
“This is Sir Juan, my escort. Sir Juan, this is Isla Rosette—my younger sister.”
“Lady Isla,” he greeted her politely, then excused himself, saying he would go check on the horses.
Isla’s cheerful expression wavered slightly.
“You used to go out more casually… I guess the Earl didn’t want to let you out alone anymore.”
On the surface, it sounded like praise for a protective husband.
“Yes. That’s what I think too.”
I took her words at face value and didn’t overthink them.
“Mother says she’s going to assign me a knight soon too. I hope he’s as handsome as yours.”
“I hope so too.”
Sir Juan wasn’t exactly the type you’d call handsome—not even as a polite lie. But I swallowed that thought and accepted Isla’s kind comment with a smile.
“If you really like Sir Juan, should I ask around for another knight about his age to recommend?”
Isla’s face immediately paled.
She was still a girl who dreamed of a prince on a white horse.
“No! No, it’s fine!”
She quickly forced a laugh to recover.
“Besides, I shouldn’t be bothering your knight. Mother told me not to make things harder for you… that you’ve been through a lot already.”
With polite smiles, we entered the estate together.
Just like before, Countess Rosette was waiting in the same sitting room.
“Isla.”
Her eyes lit up with love and warmth when she saw her daughter. It was the kind of gaze Cecilia—and I—had likely never received.
“Mother.”
Isla let go of my arm and ran into her embrace.
“Goodness. Your sister’s watching—don’t embarrass yourself like that.”
“It’s alright. She’s still young.”
“Thank you for understanding, Cecilia.”
The Countess smiled as she spoke, though there was a flicker of confusion in her expression.
Maybe she found it odd that I wasn’t jealous.
“I’m sure you’re busy. I’m sorry for calling you over.”
“I was planning to visit anyway to deliver an invitation.”
I picked up the teacup in front of me and sipped lightly.
“We haven’t decided on the date yet, so I came empty-handed today.”
“No rush. You can send the invitation anytime. But… is it true?”
She hesitated for a moment, then asked cautiously,
“Did the Earl really put you in charge of the banquet?”
“Yes. Edgar said he wants to trust me, and I want to take responsibility as the lady of the Linton estate.”
The Countess nodded with what looked like approval.
She wore the face of a caring stepmother—kind and supportive. Maybe that’s how she fooled Cecilia for so long.
“Nanny, Cecilia’s still not strong. Please take good care of her.”
“Of course, madam.”
“It’s wonderful that Cecilia is hosting a banquet—but don’t let her overwork herself.”
“I’ll be careful.”
“I trust that you’ll manage things well, but… there have been some troubling rumors going around.”
Her voice turned cautious, with a hint of concern.
